That Scott Brown is available to lead Celtic out into the game at Ibrox feels like a small victory today before a ball has been kicked.

I have to say that when there were accusations of a frivolous appeal being branded about a few weeks backs, I did point out that I felt that whistler Don Robertson has reached originally into his back pocket for a yellow card but had upgraded it to a red on the appeals of the Ross County players surrounding him.

In saying that, I would probably count myself surprised that Celtic have clearly made a persuasive case in terms of arguing that the offence warranted a booking rather than a dismissal.

I suspect that Rangers would have had it in the back of their minds this week that Brown would have been out of the game. That he is free to play will feel as much as a setback to them as it is a boost to Celtic – and to the player himself.

They will have fancied that they would have had a better chance of winning the game without the Celtic captain exerting his influence in the middle of the park and the fact that he will be out there will have come as something of a surprise. It is one thing to be without Moussa Dembele but another to be without two of your biggest players, so it definitely changed the complexion of things this week.

I have spoken often this season of just influential Brown has been to Celtic. I honestly believe that he has produced the best form of his career under Brendan Rodgers and he will be itching now to go out and make an impact in today’s game.

There have been a few theories made about the match against Rangers today carrying the least amount of pressure of any game between the sides, but it isn’t one that I would subscribe to.

Celtic are going to Ibrox not just chasing a Treble and with an eye on the momentum that will take them into the Cup Final but also on the preservation of an unbeaten record.

Rangers will see this game as an opportunity to be the team to put a spoke in that particular wheel and that is where the edge will come from in the encounter.

The Ibrox side will be under pressure from their own support to show way more than they did at Hampden, a game that was arguably one of the most one-sided that I can recall between the two teams. There was nothing about Rangers in the Cup game and in front of their own supporters they will be expected to at least show they are willing to work a bit harder at it.

The only mystery last weekend was why Celtic didn’t score more than they did.

And while that might lend Celtic an air of confidence going to Ibrox, it is fine to go and believe yourself capable of winning the game but the bottom line is that you always have to deliver.

The Rangers midfield were entirely overrun at Hampden and I think that there is no chance that they will start with two players up front today. It worked at Celtic Park when they got the draw in the league earlier this season but on Sunday there was little evidence that it carried any kind of threat.

In fairness, much of that came down to just how Celtic started the game. They were dominant from the first whistle and you just got that immediate early sense that they were up for the game.

If it is the same kind of start to today’s game then it will be interesting to see just how Rangers react to that.

There will definitely be changes made to the Rangers team that starts today, especially at the back, whereas for Celtic I suspect there won’t be any real tweaking.

Dembele is obviously out because of the injury with Leigh Griffiths a straightforward replacement but the only other question mark would be whether it is Patrick Roberts or James Forrest who starts on the flank.

Roberts had an excellent game at Hampden so he might well get the nod to keep the jersey but overall I just don’t think there is any surgery required on a team that showed their dominance.

Rangers will want to bring in players who are capable of getting in Celtic’s faces and posing the kind of questions that they just didn’t ask last weekend.